Losing the Love
by Crashxin2xMe
Summary: What happens when the lack of love gets to Horatio ... on Valentine's Day ? xxHCxx xxKplusxx slightly ooc but who cares !


Heyy Guys;

Okay, so I wrote a little Valentine's Day Fic yesterday and I'm sorry that I didn't get to post it until the next day ... ( but I hope you enjoy anyway!!

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing.

**RATING:** K+ (not much happens in this ... so yeah! )

**TYPE:** drama/romance/angst

**SHIP/PARTNERING:** Horatio (slightly OOC) & Calleigh (I decided to write this in a sense that she'd pull from her southern roots D )

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**LOSING THE LOVE**

It had been a little over a year since Marisol died as Horatio's day-old bride. Around everyone, he was strong, especially for Eric ... but inside, he was a broken man.

Horatio Caine had always put everyone before himself. People said he was a saint for that; but deep inside he knew he took care of everyone else because he couldn't handle himself.That's why he'd dreaded Valentine's Day for nearly a month. The 'day of love' only brought pain, and lots of it; because after a year he still loved her and sometimes swore he could still smell her perfume.

Trying to forget Marisol was a constant losing battle. He knew that if she hadn't been killed, cancer would have got her, but even with that thought in tow, he had no other plan for Valentine's Day than sitting in his office, starring at the ocean, alone.

"Horatio? You in here?" the young blonde called into the dark office with a southern drawl.

Calleigh entered and ran her soft fingers over the wall until she flicked the light switch into its "on" position.

"Well there you are. Here, I brought you the lab reports. I found that all the marking on the casings matched -  
"Thank-you ... Calleigh." Horatio cut her off as he continually looked out the window with a far-off look in his eye.

"Okay then ... Bye, handsome..."

A very confused Calleigh left the room and entered the bustling hall. As she headed for ballistics she became distracted. She didn't' snap out of it until she nearly ran over the beauty from autopsy.

"Whoa Sugar! Slow down! Where's the fire?"

"Oh, sorry Alex. Nice necklace; is it new?"

"Yeah. A Valentine's day present from my kids."

"Aww." Calleigh smiled, admiring the simple but stunning pearl necklace.

"Hey, Alex, I just came from Horatio's office, he seemed ... distracted. He completely dismissed the case file on our John Doe. Any idea what's on his mind?"

"Oh, honey he's probably just got a problem with Valentine's day like Mr. Wolfe does ... Oh ... my ... god."

"What is it Alex?"

"Cal, it's Valentine's Day and as of about a week ago ... Marisol will be about a year gone."

"Oh, no. Alex ... what do we do?" Calleigh asked worriedly.

"_We_ can't do much of anything. But Horatio trusts you Babe ... go comfort him."

Calleigh ran her fingers through her blonde hair. "Poor Horatio..." she muttered.  
"Thanks Alex ..."

"You go get 'im Babe."

"Will do... "Calleigh smiled. She made her way back down the hall and stopped outside of Horatio's office.

**xxxxx Knock && Knock xxxxx**

"Hey, Handsome." she entered softly.

Horatio Caine sat silently in a leather desk chair that had been wheeled towards the wide-window.

"Horatio..." Calleigh's soothing southern-drawl dragged out.

She moved from behind him to his side. From this new point of view, she could see his eyes glisten, even though the room's only source of light came from an open window.

"Valentine's day..." he muttered.

"Wha-What about it?"

"Do you know its origin? "

"Yes... many think it commemorates Saint Valentine's death."

"Yes, Calleigh. So why should a holiday with an original purpose to celebrate a death ... make the "unloved loners" feel like they are in the wrong?"  
"I don't think I follow... "

"Why should a holiday pain so many..."

"Hey..." Calleigh sighed as she knelt down next to him. "Valentine's Day, I agree, does pester many singles; but it also brings many people together."

"Really." Horatio sniffled a big, "Then explain to me ... why the love of my life was taken from me. Why I'm still here ... alone. Explain to me what I did to lose Marisol ..."

For the first time all day, he pulled his eyes from the window and looked at Calleigh.

"Oh dear." Calleigh thought.

"Horatio ... sweetie. You didn't do anything. What happened to Marisol was a tragedy; but sweetie ... you had nothing to do with it!" Calleigh moved to kneel in front of him. She rested her hands on his knees.

"You're a great man. I know...I know you feel alone; But you're not alone. Hon, you'll always have your friends who will always love you." She smiled weakly as his hollow eyes seemed to look past her.

She knew that hollow look well. It was the look that was always in her father's drunken eyes. Nothing you could say would ever get through to people whose eyes held this look. But she decided that he was worth anything, even hours of useless conversation.

"I really love her." he whispered.

"I know H. I know. And she knew. And most of all ..." Calleigh leaned her forehead lovingly on his, "She loved you!"

He looked Calleigh in the eye.

"I know." he smiled faintly.

She smiled and stood up.

"Calleigh..."

"Yes handsome?"

"Thank-you..."

"Aww." she winked. "Happy Valentine's."

He smiled wearily and locked out the window once again.

The sun was setting now, coloring the sky with pink and orange. Calleigh walked back slowly to Horatio's side. She sat on the arm of his chair. She ran her fingers through his soft red hair and put her arm around his shoulders.

"Don't worry...she knows you loved her. And don't you worry handsome...there's someone out there just waiting to love you."

He smiled and mouthed a thank-you without bringing his eyes from the beautiful outdoor scene.

"I love you..." she thought silently as she pressed feather light kisses to his temple and hair line as they sat together watching the sunset.

**End.. Comments? **


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